Student Accommodation No Longer Viable for Shrewsbury Prison

Developers behind the recently refused application to transform Shrewsbury's prison into student accommodation are to consider their next move once the council responds to questions over what the building could be used for.

Plans to create student accommodation, a walled garden, flats and a gym on the site of the former jail were refused by the authority's central planning committee just before Christmas.

Despite the rejection, the owners of Dana Prison are confident the site can be redeveloped.

Trever Osborne, one of the joint owners said: "We would win on appeal because of the trumped up reasons for refusal. They had nothing to do with planning.

"The reason for refusal is there is no council policy to deal with street parking. It is a matter for the council to deal with. If you just read the reasons for refusal they are barely credible."

However, Mr Osborne's plans to turn the site into student accommodation look to have been dropped. The part owner of the site said: "It would spoil the setting of the building and is a wrong solution. The idea that we might demolish further good buildings to accommodate a car is not something we are considering."

Mr Osborne has asked the council to confirm what the site can be used for without requiring planning permission. Under its existing planning consent alternative uses include a detention centre or short term holding centre for immigrants, migrants or refugees.

The developers are yet to receive confirmation about the potential uses for the site, which has been operated as a tourist attraction for over a year.